Engine Services
Your car is powered by an internal combustion engine that converts the energy from the heat released from burning fuel into torque that moves your wheels. More specifically, the fuel you put in your car is mixed with oxygen and ignited, via your spark plugs. That explosion is called combustion and is what moves the engine's pistons up and down in cylinders that are connected via rods to the crankshaft. That's how it works and here we'll get into the various parts that keep your car running.
Urgent
We recommend you bring your car in immediately. This repair is critical to saving you money & your life.
Caution
We recommend watching this part carefully and scheduling a service date to prevent any future problems.
Routine
We recommend you keep this repair as recurring scheduled maintenance to keep your car healthy and running great.
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Warning: Delaying car repairs is never recommended as it can be costly and at times dangerous. If you are experiencing car trouble please bring it to your local repair shop.
Parts and services
Cooling System
Your car's cooling system keeps the engine at the right temperature to ensure efficient operation, not too hot, but also not too cold. The system includes a radiator, fan, thermostat valve, and a water pump. These components are all connected by a series of hoses that then connect to the interior passageways of the engine that have coolant running through them. The cooling system also houses parts of the interior's ventilation system because heat coming from the engine is used to warm the inside of the car.
Symptoms:
- →White smoke coming from under the hood
- →The temperature gauge rises quickly
- →You see a leak of bright green fluid
- →The coolant level is low
Head Gasket
The head gasket provides a seal between the cylinder head and engine block ensuring that coolant and oil do not mix and do not enter the cylinders. It also keeps the pressure that's created when the spark plugs ignite fuel vapors inside the combustion chamber which keeps the pistons firing efficiently.
Symptoms:
- →White smoke is coming from the exhaust
- →The car shakes when idling
- →You see an oil leak
- →You see a leak of bright green fluid
- →There's a loss of power
Transmission
The transmission, which is made up of five or six gears and a series of gear trains, ensures your car's engine spins at the right speed and that the wheels get the right amount of power. The gears change depending on the speed of the car and how hard you step on the accelerator to keep the engine's RPMs appropriately low.
Symptoms:
- →There's a burning smell
- →Your car has problems shifting
- →Fluid leaking near middle of car
- →You hear a grinding noise
- →Your car shakes
Exhaust
Simply put, the exhaust removes the excess gases from the car's engine to the outside of the car. These gases come from the tiny explosions that occur in your car's engine during fuel combustion. The explosions produce power that then pushes against the pistons to keep your car running. The exhaust also reduces the toxic chemicals in the fumes, known as emissions, and lowers the noise that comes from the explosions. The exhaust comprises these components: exhaust manifold, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, diesel particulate filter, exhaust pipe, and muffler.
Symptoms:
- →Your car's muffler roars
- →You hear a rattling noise under your car
- →There's a burning smell
- →You see black crust on your tailpipe
Drivetrain
In short, the drivetrain connects your car's engine to the wheels. It works slightly differently depending on what drivetrain you have: FWD, AWD, RWD, or 4WD. However, the basics of the system are that the drivetrain's transmission controls the power while the driveshaft that connects to the transmission spins to transfer power to the differential that then distributes the power to the axles and then wheels. Cars with 4WD or AWD use more advanced controls to distribute power but the idea is the same. If you paid close attention, you now know the drivetrain is made up of the transmission, driveshaft, axle, and differential.
Symptoms:
- →Fluid leaking near middle of car
- →Your car has problems shifting
- →You hear a clunking noise
- →You hear a clicking sound
- →Your car shudders when accelerating
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